This Week's Leaders

Sterilizing Ameda Purely Yours Breast Pump

I bought the Ameda Purely Yours brest pump and I want to sterlize it and have it ready in case I need it for when the baby comes home and I can't get her to latch on. How do I sterlize? Do I just throw the flanges and bottles in the dishwasher?

Also, I'm pretty large chested. I was a 34D before I was pregnant and now I'm at least a DD and can only imagine what I will be once my milk comes in. Do you know if the large flange that comes with the pump will fit a D or DD size or should I buy and XL flange?

Re: Sterilizing Ameda Purely Yours Breast Pump

Flange size has nothing to do with your breast size. It is nipple size. I found that some women (myself included) needed to use a larger size (in my case Ameda L) during the initial engorgement period. After the first month I went back down to the standard size. I am a 40 G/H BTW. Ameda has a good picture on their website to help you see if your nipple is fitting the flange correctly.

I don't believe the dishwasher properly sanitizes (but many do). I bought the Medela steam bags and sterilized with those. They are definitely something I'd recommend getting because you will only be using bottles occasionally when you are first home and they are great for doing a few bottles or flanges at a time. I also have an Avent bottle sterilizer that the parts can fit into. But yes, that's what they mean by sterilize.

Do not sterilize the tubes. I also don't sterilize the white valves or clear diaphragms, but I'm not sure if that's right, they just seem too flimsy to withstand being sterilized.

Read your directions that came with the pump it will tell you. I have the same pump and that is where I found the information. You can sterilize them by boiling water and placing them in the water for what I think was 15-20 minutes...I don't really remember how long it says to place it in the boiling water but, like I said, it will tell you in the directions.

Do not sterilize the tubes. I also don't sterilize the white valves or clear diaphragms, but I'm not sure if that's right, they just seem too flimsy to withstand being sterilized.

Tubes no but the diaphragms and the white valves are okay. I didn't think you could since I also felt they were flimsy to withstand the heat but the directions said to go ahead and do it and they survived.